The 6th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD VI) will be held in Nairobi, Kenya, on August 27 and 28, 2016. TICAD I was held in 1993, and until 2013, 5 conferences were held in Tokyo and Yokohama every five years. TICAD, co-hosted by the Government of Japan, the World Bank Group, the United Nations and the African Union Commission (AUC), is now going to be held every three years, and for the first time, TICAD VI will be held in Africa this year. In preparation for TICAD VI, the World Bank Tokyo Office has been conducting the Seminar Series to discuss challenges and perspectives of TICAD and African countries.

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, at the Third Japan-African Regional Economic Communities (RECs) Summit Roundtable held in New York in September 2015, said that Japan will focus on helping the development of regional infrastructure in three priority regions including Mombasa and the Northern Corridor, the Nacala Corridor, and the Western Africa Region. While 1st Seminar in the TICAD Seminar Series focused on Mozambique and 5th Seminar on Kenya, 7th Seminar, titled “Infrastructure Development and Business Opportunities in West Africa: Focusing on Côte d'Ivoire”, will focus on West Africa, in particular Côte d'Ivoire, featuring speakers from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on a masterplan for West African economic development, Japanese private sector on statues and opportunities in Côte d'Ivoire, World Bank Office in Côte d'Ivoire via videoconference and the Embassy of Côte d'Ivoire to Japan to share their perspectives.

Program:

Opening Remarks

Yasusuke Tsukagoshi, Special Representative, Japan, World Bank Group

Keynote Speeches

Hiroshi Kato, Vice President, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

Presentation Material: Corridor Development for West Africa - Growth Ring Master Plan (PDF)

Mamoru Sekiyama, Chairman of Marubeni Power Systems Corporation and Chairman of Africa-Japan Relations Committee, Keizai Doyukai (Japan Association of Corporate Executives)

Presentation Material: Infrastructure development and business opportunity in West Africa (PDF)

Comments

Pierre Frank Laporte, Country Director for Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Togo, World Bank (join via videoconference from Cote d’Ivoire)

Jérôme Klôh Weya, Ambassador of the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire to Japan

Presentation Material: Infrastructure Development and Business Opportunities in West Africa: Focusing on Côte d’Ivoire (PDF)

Past Series:

6th Seminar in the TICAD Seminar Series (May 9, 2016)
"Liberia's Challenges and Perspectives, and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Case Report"

5th Seminar in the TICAD Seminar Series (February 24, 2016)
“Infrastructure Development and Business Opportunities in Kenya and Neighboring Countries”

4th Seminar in the TICAD Seminar Series (January 22, 2016)
“Land Use Planning & Spatial Development for Smart Growth in African Cities”

3rd Seminar in the TICAD Seminar Series (January 13, 2016)
“Climate Change Initiatives in Africa”

2nd Seminar in the TICAD Seminar Series (December 4, 2015)
"Investment in Nutrition: Initiatives in Africa"

1st Seminar in the TICAD Seminar Series (October 7, 2015)
“Discussion on TICAD VI with His Excellency Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Mr. Belmiro Jose Malate, the Embassy of the Republic of Mozambique to Japan”